They do need someone to play in these exhibition games. We are like 3 injuries away from playing TFC II circa 2019.
Printable View
We're swimming in budget space right now. We likely wouldn't have been able to get rid of Bradley unless we used the buyout on him (which is currently slated for Jozy) or packaged up a bunch of GAM with him in a trade (which means we wouldn't get any budget space). Plus Bradley's contract is up at the end of the year.
No Michael, no Bob. Not really much point in discussing MB departure scenarios.
You also have to consider the team leadership with Michael Bradley. At the season ending press conference, Michael Bradley was talking about passing on the leadership mantle on to Jonathan Osario and Richie Layrea. Not sure how much leadership potential that Marky Delgado had, but after the games last year, the young players were commenting how Michael Bradley was exhorting them on. I suspect that Bob Bradley will not be giving heavy minutes to Michael, but will seek to evenly distribute it between Michael, Noble Okello and Ralph Priso.
Sure, in Fifa Manager Mode where you turn trades on Easy mode this is viable. In reality no one is taking him and you have to sweeten the deal yourself, plus his Dad is only here because of him, plus he has intangibles that not many other players on our team have.
At this point I think we're probably not going to see any more signings until the transfer window officially opens.
I find we do this every year around this time - start clamoring for signings but forgetting the window isn't even open yet.
This is Michael Bradley's franchise. He is and has long been the most powerful person in it. I honestly believe that he will be the manager whenever he feels like he should retire.
Seriously what is the deal with people hating on Michael Bradley here? Dude took a massive paycut, is still serviceable, barely injured, and will surely play better under his Dad with better players around him and not as some roaming CB. Feel like the priorities are way out of wack here. Wanting to ship out the captain who ACTUALLY sacrificed things for the team (Jozy apologists take note) because he makes a bit too much money even after taking a paycut (not even realistic to move him because no one is taking him but he is not anywhere close to as bad as made out to be) is insane to me. There are 20 different things to fix on this team before Michael Bradley.
maybe jozy will take a pay cut for his 10 -15 games a year the last 3 season,MB is going nowhere,he will be a coach maybe even next season
Yikes I should have clarified. I know why it can’t / won’t happen and that this club is now the Bradleys and that MB is a fine captain and an even better person but it is a shame to lose Marky due to mid field glut. If all things are equal and I had a choice I’m picking Delgado over MB though as he is 8 years younger on a third of the wages, covers a shit ton of ground, showed up in big games except for one bloody shot on goal, who when paired with Oso was as good a midfield as we ever had. I’m not crapping on MB but looking at the player he is now that is the choice I would make.
I make a lot of jokes about Bradley so maybe you are referring to me. The guy is 100% the best captain in franchise history and second best player in franchise history. His debut against the Sounders is perhaps the best game I have ever seen from a midfielder in TFC colors. I do legit fear he has a ton of power over this franchise though. Outside of Javier Perez taking him off at halftime in one game (where the team took control afterwards) it feels like our coaches have been afraid to bench him. The stretch in 2020 where Osorio and Delgado ran the best midfield two in MLS and the team immediately regressed upon MB returning really showed he wasn't the same guy anymore.
I’ve been really annoyed because to me our midfield solution has been staring us in the face with Delgado/Osorio. Bradley is the only player who deserves a statue in my mind, but he’s been nothing more than a fringe starter for a while and has likely hampered our performances more than helped them as of late.
While I'd agree this has often been the case, I also think it's worth asking how much of that is physical decline and how much of it is just poor coaching and him trying to do too much.
If he had a more defined role than "number eight who also acts as a number six and sometimes drops into the defensive line"....
And I think that's his fault, really, that he's trying to do too much and he just can't cover the ground anymore. He was never that great a defensive player in Europe; at Hereenven he was basically the late trailer into the box, at Chievo he was a number eight, same at Roma. In all of those cases, he had fairly narrow defensive responsibilities.
But as we haven't had a true wrecker since Mattias Laba was let go, we've instead relied on a combo of three number eights, effectively, as if we were playing 'Total Football' and had eleven guys who were interchangeable.
But neither he nor Delgado was as effective anymore at covering ground and it really showed. Delgado got very sloppy with his passing and marking, Bradley was terrible at pressing and covering last season.
Maybe under his father, he ends up playing and sticking to more rigorous zones and will be expected to cover less ground. Priso, certainly, feels as if he could turn into an exceptional number six. He closes off passing lanes, he tackles well, he holds up the ball to bring the rest of the play ahead, he can pass, he's fast.
If Priso is getting most of the number six minutes and we're rotating Bradley, Osorio and Okello ahead of him, we might get a substantially more effective MB again.
A couple of years ago (2019) people were all over MB on these boards so I paid lots of attention to him in home games, watching his movement etc and virtually ignoring the ball and the rest of the game. and his movement off the ball and general control of the game was superb. I am not questioning that he has lost a step, and agree the Delgado - Oso combo was excellent, but I am loathe to write him off because of what I saw then, which was a player far far better than thought. Class is permanent.
Agree with this. I find when he's rested, his body can keep up with his mind. He's generally looked good the first few games of the season and after some extended international breaks. Hopefully a healthy Priso can provide some rotation to him and keep him fresher.
We would 100% see a more effective Michael Bradley with limited minutes. I think it is a valid fear that his father might not be the guy who limits those minutes though. I am of two minds on this Delgado trade. It opens up minutes for Priso (who I think is very good) and Okello. But, it also opens up the excuse to play MB every minute of every game if one of those two falter.
Exactly this. I've been witness to some goals caused by him as well, but you don't lose the football IQ that got you to play at Roma as an American and score bundles of goals in the Dutch league as a midfielder by accident. We have been spoiled by him and frankly he's turned into a whipping boy because he never complains and he doesn't mind taking the blame when it's necessary. He's a model captain and it's shocking to me to see people want to ship out what is the most loyal club servant we have ever seen here at TFC.
When Bob Bradley did one of his first interviews after being announced he mentioned about some players living off of 2017 and that needed to go. When he said this one of the first players I thought of was Delgado. Now he's gone. There's going to be an element of that in the removals from the roster and for sure Michael has filled him in on what's what and who's who.
MB is already a player coach without the title,yes delgado has a good workrate.but he was crap and a whiner last season
Fab reported TFC made a proposal to Belotti, who is keeping his options open until he hits free agency.
https://youtu.be/cyBFU8Zxmi4?t=413
I think he waits for the summer. He may be holding out for a Milan move but they don't seem keen on him.
For Want Of A Nail...
For want of a nail a horseshoe was lost,– Unknown
for want of a horseshoe a horse went lame,
for want of a horse a rider never got through,
for want of a rider a message never arrived,
for want of a message an army was never sent,
for want of an army a battle was lost,
for want of a battle a war was lost,
for want of a war a kingdom fell,
and all for want of a nail.
Absolutely... what time is it, next rumour?
Of course... why would 'they' do something that makes business sense; easy, straightforward, transparent, and beneficial?
Shhhh! Quiet now... whisper please, do not let everyone in on the secret...
Why would we/MLS want to create an internationally competitive football marketplace...
Try to participate in the excitement and ratified air of the Man C's, Chelsea's, Barca's, Real Madrid's, Bayern Muinch's, Dortmund's, PSG's, Juventus's of the world.
I do not think Pozuelo leaving at this time makes any TFC 'football' sense.
IMO Insigne is not Soteldo. Same position, different instincts and style.
Also, IMO Insigne does not = Pozuelo.
IMO, if Insigne can play with Baretta, Jorginho, Verratti, or Mertens and Zielinski, he will play just fine with Pozuelo.
Regarding the latest Pozuelo rumour… just do not know what to believe anymore… everything seems possible…
Apart from this China rumour- not believable IMO, there were rumours of him going to the KSA when MLSPA lockout was a possibility.
IIRC he may be in the last year of his contract? Stated publicly he would like an extension.
Tried confirming contract with Transfermarkt; oddly field seems to be empty.
Some other, third tier, sites suggest contract already expired; 31DEC21.
Molinaro indicates in a recent article that Pozuelo is on his final year.
If so and this is his final year, I hope any preliminary negotiations haven’t stalled given the ongoing flurry of other TFC activity.
I understand he has had on and off field issues to deal with this past season affecting performance.
Given the Insigne signing terms, he may be expecting a proactive good faith gesture; modest bump.
Given his personal circumstances; his cost of 'family' living expenses have likely suddenly increased.
Still, I hope it doesn’t turn into some sort of SG fiasco by way of delay.
How SG felt he got shortchanged by D’Amico and Manning and wanted the money he lost.
I think Pozuelo is still good for TFC; has a good 2-3 years.
I would like the chance for him to play alongside a few similar caliber footballers after the European Summer Window.
Wholeheartedly agree... so much outgoing... please... some incoming... soon.